The FCC authorizes SpaceX’s Starlink system to be used on vehicles in motion

Photo by Thomas Ricker / The Verge

The FCC gave the green light to use the Starlink satellite internet system on vehicles in motion. It is a big win for the Starlink system, potentially opening it up to a more diverse range of customers.

In March of last year, the FCC gave the green light for Earth Stations in Motion to be used in moving vehicles. To tap into the system and receive broadband internet coverage, customers must purchase a personal ground-based antenna that is designed to connect with any of the Starlink satellites overhead. The dishes have had to stay in a fixed location in order to access the system.

The FCC has given the go-ahead for a new class of user terminals that can connect to broadband-beaming satellites while on the move. The FCC denied a petition that sought to prevent the companies from using frequencies in the 12 GHz band. The FCC will continue to conduct analysis as it moves forward with rulemaking on the presence of ESIM devices in the 12 GHz band.

The public's interest is argued by the FCC. The FCC said that the public interest would benefit by granting with conditions. While on the move, whether driving an RV across the country, moving a freighter from Europe to a U.S. port, or while, the range of broadband capabilities will be expanded thanks to the approval of a new class of terminals.

In order to provide low-latency broadband coverage to the Earth below, a constellation of thousands of satellites is needed. The company boasted that it had 400,000 users after it came out of the testing phase at the end of last year. If customers want to order Starlink, they have to pay a monthly fee of $110.

The company wants to expand Starlink beyond just residential customers. The company is in talks with several airlines about using Starlink internet service and is in talks with two private jet companies to provide internet on their aircraft over the next few years. The new tier for RVs allows users to connect with Starlink satellites from multiple locations, without having to pay an extra fee. At the time of the announcement, the dishes couldn't be used while the RV or van was moving.